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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · shower · roll · fan · rush · wound · rash · coach

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — a series
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a list
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com